VERTEX is a fast-growth, international firm that is employee-owned and consistently ranked as one of the best places to work. Our long term success is based on our adherence to our mission and core values.

VERTEX’s forensic engineering services include investigating the cause and extent of damage from weather events and construction defects.

VERTEX provides forensic engineering services for insurance companies, law firms, adjusters and sureties. We have extensive experience in all building types, and have worked on claims involving storm damage, fire and explosion claims, construction deficiencies, and design deficiencies.

Structural Engineering Investigations

VERTEX’s national team of forensic structural engineers are licensed in the lower 48 states and DC. VERTEX’s forensic structural engineers specialize in building structures, retaining walls, bulkheads and other miscellaneous structures. VERTEX also provides full service structural design services. Our design arm assures VERTEX has up-to-date knowledge of building code changes and advancements in research and design applications. Our forensic structural engineers are proficient with both current and historic building codes.

Civil Engineering Investigations

VERTEX’s national team of civil forensic engineers are licensed in the lower 48 states and DC. Our civil engineers specialize in grading, drainage, paving, site concrete, and other miscellaneous structures. VERTEX also provides full service civil design services. Our design arm assures VERTEX has up-to-date knowledge of building code changes and advancements in research and design applications. Our forensic civil engineers are proficient with both current and historic building codes.

Mechanical Failure Investigations

When a building’s automation and control systems are not operating as efficiently as possible or are malfunctioning, VERTEX can assist by offering on-site assessment and review by licensed professional engineers and other technical professionals. Our team of professionals can offer professional consulting for various automation and control systems including: chillers, boilers, air handling units, roof top units, fan coil units, heat pumps, elevators/escalators, generators as well as plumbing and water monitoring systems.

Engineering Standard of Care Assessments

Many construction-related disputes involve assessing the quality of work performed by an engineer. Our engineering experts analyze project documentation and field conditions to opine on whether an engineer of record met the professional standard of care.

Rope Access Engineering

VERTEX’s Engineering team of professionally certified inspectors perform hands-on assessments and nondestructive testing. The Rope Access Engineering Team inspects structures not accessible by traditional methods such as aerial work platforms and scaffolding. This unique method provides our clients with a safe and efficient solution while being able to assess the conditions close-up.

Key Personnel

Assistant Vice President, Forensic Engineering Manager

Kevin Maxwell, PE, PMP

Kevin Maxwell has over 15 years of experience in engineering, expert witness support, claims management, and risk assessment and is an Assistant Vice President and the Manager of VERTEX’s Forensic Engineering Department. Mr. Maxwell’s wide range of experience and professional engineering registrations enables him to opine on building costs and defects from both a damages and liability perspective for litigation cases utilizing a design and construction approach. Mr. Maxwell is an expert witness providing support to litigation cases and has acted as an Appraiser on several occasions.

Mr. Maxwell’s past expertise includes managing the engineering and construction division of a large roofing contractor in the Southeast. This experience enabled him to familiarize himself with insurance policy language, the claims process, and proper construction methods. He has worked on a wide range of claims projects throughout the country including but not limited to the investigation of structural defects, structural collapses, water intrusion, building envelope deficiencies, roof damage (hail), wind vs. surge, building settlement, retaining wall collapses, and utility pipe collapses for both residential and commercial buildings. Mr. Maxwell was deployed on extended CAT assignments for Hurricane Irene, Alabama tornados, and Hurricane Sandy.

News

VERTEX’s will be exhibiting at West Coast Casualty’s 25th Annual Construction Defect Seminar in Anaheim, CA on May 17th and 18th. If you see Chris Morley, Mark Degenaars, Kevin Maxwell, Matt Click, Pasha Ameli or Ashley Combs, be sure to stop and say hello! The West Coast Casualty Construction Defect Seminar series is the largest event of…

VERTEX is at MassBuys

May 9, 2018

VERTEX at Massbuys Expo 2018. Greg Sampson, Chris Carleo, and Andrew Chagnan. VERTEX is excited to participate at MassBuys Expo May 10th. Stop by our booth (#134). We will have experts in design engineering, environmental, and construction to talk with, and you could win a football! VERTEX’s State-Wide Contracts PRF67 – DCAMM Environmental…

VERTEX is Proud to Support South Shore Health System

May 7, 2018

VERTEX is proud to support the South Shore Health System Foundation. Benjamin Strong, COO and Jeffrey Picard, President, are active members of the South Shore Health System’s Presidents’ Circle. South Shore Health System (formerly, South Shore Health and Educational Corporation) is a not-for-profit, tax-exempt, charitable Health System that provides a broad range of health services to…

VERTEX Celebrates Project 50,000

April 30, 2018

VERTEX’s Project 50,000 was initiated earlier this month by our Phili-metro office. Congratulations to our PA team on opening the monumental Project Number! This project milestone represents a level of experience and achievement that few in the AEC industry can claim. This photo shows some of our PA team and was taken at lunch hour during…

VERTEX's Thomas Koch to be a Panelist at CREJ Sustainability Event

April 24, 2018

On April 26th, Thomas Koch, VERTEX’s Vice President of Industrial Hygiene & EHS Services, will be a panelist on “Well Building Update: What Landlords Need to Know” at CREJ’s Sustainability: Achieving the Next Level. This is CREJ’s principal Green Building event of the year with more than 200 attendees anticipated representing owners, brokers, property managers,…

Blog

HVAC Condenser Coil Hail Damage – Repair or Replace?

May 22, 2018

As spring rolls into summer, hail-producing thunderstorms are more frequent and with them comes the potential damage to outdoor HVAC condenser coils. Although hail occurs in all areas of the United States, hail-producing thunderstorms with hailstones greater than 3/4” in diameter are more prevalent east of the Rocky Mountains. When confronted with the option of…

Microbial Management Guidelines

April 16, 2018

Molds and mold spores are a common component of household and workplace dust. When they are present in large quantities, they can potentially present health hazards, allergic reactions and respiratory problems depending on individual susceptibility. Upon discovery of mold, its important to involve someone with the industry knowledge to solve any potential problems. What is…

Ladder Safety Training Video

April 11, 2018

According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), over 500,000 people are treated each year for ladder related falls. Whether you use a ladder out in the field, in your workplace or at home, safety should always be your number one priority. At VERTEX, safety is part of our culture. We recently hosted…

Fire - How it Affects Structural Steel Framing

February 21, 2018

Introduction As forensic engineers, it is often our responsibility to assess the structural integrity of a building after a natural disaster or an event from unfortunate circumstances. It is also our responsibility to determine the necessary repairs that need to be made to the structural framing of the building in order to return it to…

Window Flashing 101 - The Proper Way to Flash a Residential Finned Window

January 30, 2018

The most prevalent of all window types is the residential grade window with a nailing fin. While the most prevalent, many engineers, architects, and general contractors lack an understanding of how to properly flash this type of window. Here are some tips and industry standards to watch for in your next residential finned window flashing installation. Window Flashing Basics…